Public Statements

Floor Speech

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the amendment to waive the time limitation for awarding Lt. Alonzo Cushing the Medal of Honor.

A Wisconsin native, Lt. Cushing, on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, commanded 110 men and six cannons positioned on Cemetery Ridge, where they received the full force of Pickett's Charge. Despite the death of all of his officers and receiving multiple gunshot wounds, Lt. Cushing refused to withdraw from battle and was killed by Confederate fire. In February 2010, Secretary of the Army John McHugh recommended the approval of the nation's highest honor for Lt. Cushing.

Lt. Cushing's actions in the Battle of Gettysburg were so inspiring that a book detailing his life, Cushing of Gettysburg, was written in 1998.

I would like to give special thanks to Margaret Zerwekh and the city of Delafield for their tireless advocacy to ensure Lt. Cushing receives the honor he deserves. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and honor a true American hero.